Miguel Sánchez
A few days ago we commemorated the Citroën Ami 60 6th anniversary. As the brand's own directive announced this is the "Intermediate point between the DS and the 2CV"; a car that, over the years, has become a popular classic much loved by the fans. However, from it we can see several evolutions. Undoubtedly the most famous is Ami 8, but few are aware of the existence of a experimental model of which 267 units were assembled. We are talking about the Citroën M35.
A good example of the chevron brand's eagerness to innovate, the Citroën M35 has a single cylinder. But be careful, let no one think of the 1886 Benz Motorwagen with its single cylinder engine and less than a horsepower. Although they do share one thing: German inventive ingenuity. And it is about a rotary engine, just the type of propellant devised by the German Felix Wankel, later so profusely used by Mazda in both its street and competition cars.
Of smooth and progressive operation, but also delicate especially in terms of lubrication and wear of the combustion chamber, the rotary engine found little diffusion in Europe. In fact, although brands like Mercedes flirted with the idea of taking it to series after testing it on prototypes like the C111, the truth is the only massive sample of a European car with an engine of this type is the Citroën M35. A creation in which we see the echoes of the Ami 6 but which, due to various problems, reached the roads but not in series production.
CITROËN M35. PRODUCT OF A CONSORTIUM WITH NSU
Citroën is one of the brands with the most personality in European motorsport. A statement that many may squeak at first, but that is confirmed just by taking a look at his extensive career. A history where models like the Traction Avant or the DS have introduced improvements later applied by the rest of the manufacturers. Something like what Lancia did for decades, but in the French way. That is why the appearance in 1969 of the Citroën M35 cannot really surprise you. Well, at the end of the day we are talking about a brand with a taste for experimentation.
And it is that thinking about the mass production of cars with rotary engines was a real experimentation. A challenge for Citroën engineers, who for this purpose they counted on the company COMOTOR from 1967. A consortium participated with the German NSU, a company founded in 1873 and which at that time had Felix Wankel himself on its payroll. Thus, the idea was to apply the Wankel engine to a mid-range model, replacing the two-cylinder opposed defining vehicles such as the Ami 6.
An interesting idea, especially for the lightness and power of these rotary engines. In fact, in the case of the Citroën M35, a power of 45CV was reached. Approximately double that offered by the original boxer, also counting on the absence of mechanical vibrations typical of the smooth Wankel engines. A point in favor of this prototype, even more so if we consider that this was the smallest Citroën to have hydropneumatic suspensions. In short, a true flying carpet that, however, ended up crashed after two years of production and tests in which the brand's own customers participated.
CITROËN M35. TESTED BY OWN CUSTOMERS
In the world of driving, the names of great drivers are always remembered. However, few are those who remember testers absolutely necessary for the development of models that excited from the first glance. For example, thanks to Norman Lewis, the Jaguar XK140 or E-Type could be tuned. While in Lamborghini it is impossible to understand the set-up of many models without knowing the work of Valentino Balboni. A task that, in the case of the Citroën M35, is much more choral than expected. And it is that, far from being tested by pilots of the brand, our protagonist gave himself to preferred clients to do a statistical study with them on the behavior of the model.
At this point, the brand gave the car to the user in exchange for constant information about its use on a day-to-day basis. An experimental test method, which envisaged up to 500 pre-series units with which to make the filming of what, finally, would be the definitive model for dealerships. Despite the early days of all this, the results flowed. In fact, reports agreed on smooth running and speed. Yes indeed, counting with high consumption of both gasoline and oil. Something to which was added the difficulty of repairing these engines so unknown to common mechanics.
Thus, in 1971 it was decided to shelve the Citroën M35 project. Bad news for its owners, who could change it for another in the range if they did not want to cause the problem of keeping a car of which, explicitly, Citroën announced that it would not manufacture any spare part. Located between a rock and a hard place, only about 20 drivers chose to keep the modelThus, almost all the units of this prototype were scrapped. A sample of the innovation of Citroën, tributary of the Ami 6 of which we are celebrating sixty years.
Photographs: Citroën Origins
